The Ponyville Adventuring Society

Chapters

Chapter 1 - One Night on Sweet Apple Acres
Chapter 2 - Cleaning Up
Chapter 3 - Dragon Catchers
Chapter 4 - Scouting Party

Chapter 1 - One Night on Sweet Apple Acres

One night on Sweet Apple Acres...

“Alright, y’all know what ya gonna be doin’, right?” Api asked the two other fillies in the musty tree house.

Pixel waved off the younger girl's concerns, while Echo just nodded. “Relax, Api. You’ve gone over the plan twenty times already.”

“Ah just don’t want anythin’ ta go wrong.” Api flopped down onto a beanbag chair, sighing. “Y’all know what people thought about our moms when they were our age...”

A shudder passed over the three fillies as they remembered the album of Repair Invoices, Medical Receipts and Guard Reports their mother's had shown them all the week before. And the stories they’d heard. So much tree sap...

“OK, we get it,” Pixel ceded. “But we have something they don’t have.”

“And what’s that?” Echo asked, not looking up from her hand.

“Our moms already did all the messing up for us!” Pixel had a huge grin on her face, and failed to notice the huge face hoof Api was doing.

“That don’t mean new things cain’t go wrong fer us...” the small Earth Pony pointed out. “Look at what happened when we tried ta capture one o’ the Ponyville Dragons...”

“We got out of the net eventually.” Pixel said, circling her hoof dismissively.

“Y’all got set on fire!”

“Only a little...” Pixel said, her voice seeming a little smaller now. “Besides, Claire put me out again.”

“We caught Turquoise and Spike easily enough, Api.” Echo said, throwing a card across the table to Pixel.

“Until Annie let T out, ya mean?” Api cocked her head, and glared at the quiet Pegasus.

“Well, she cheats...” Pixel said, folding her forehooves in a huff. “Besides, she dropped the net when she found out we weren’t hurting him...”

“Yeah, she dropped tha net. On fire...” Api said, before thinking back. “Didn’t ya get lit up then an’ all?”

“Eh...” Pixel said, shrugging her shoulders. “Ocku...Ocu...risk of catching dragons. And Claire put me out. Again.”

“And it don’t really count if they let ya catch ‘em like Spike did.” Api pointed out. “Everypony knows that.”

“Yeah, Twilight put up more of a fight than Spike did,” Echo pointed out. “Probably wasn’t the best plan to try and catch him when he was in the Library’s kitchen.”

“Ah’ll say,” Api said, shuddering as she flashed back to the event. “It was awful cramped in there. Ah think Spike got me stuck up against a wall at one point...“

“You think you had it bad?” Echo asked. “One of his wings knocked me through a window. I couldn’t fly straight for the rest of the week.”

“Well, when Twilight teleported in, she knocked me into the hob.”

“That doesn’t sound that ba...” Echo started, before being cut off.

“It was lit.”

Echo mouthed an Oh... before sharing a look with Api.

“Ya seem ta get set on fire an awful lot, Pixie,” Api said, finally sitting at the table with her two friends. “What’s with that?”

The Unicorn just shrugged her shoulders, and refused to say anymore on the matter. Echo rolled her eyes and shook her head, as Api sighed.

“Alright, Ah’ll take it that ya’ll do know the plan,” Api said, glancing between her two friends as she laid a hoof into the middle of the table. “Through Wrath and Ruin”

Pixel Bit giggled as she laid her hoof next to Api’s. “United we stand!”

Echo snorted a laugh at her two friends, before completing the hoof circle. “For Gold and Glory.”

The trio of fillies raised their hooves in unison as they yelled the final part of their oath. “Ponyville Adventurers! Yay!”

***

Meanwhile, at the farmhouse...

Applebloom sat up in bed, a cold sweat running down the back of her neck.

“Somethin’ up, love?” Pipsqueak asked, blinking himself awake.

“Ah think it was just a bad dream...” Applebloom said, but Pips curiosity wasn’t satisfied. She settled back down, and rolled so she was facing him. “Ah heard Ponyville scream out in terror, an’ then had to watch as it drowned in tree sap...”

“Cor...” Pipsqueak took a few seconds to think over what Applebloom had said. “That must have been a right bad ‘un.”

Applebloom nodded. “Ah’m startin’ ta think it might’ve been a bad idea ta tell the girls mah old stories. Ah just got a bad feelin’...”

“Now that might be going just a little too far.” Pipsqueak said, giving Applebloom a quick peck on the nose before lying back on the pillows. “I mean, what’s the worst that could happen?”

***

Back at the Tree House...

“Alrigh’, I think y’all need ta go on an’ get back home, it’s gettin’ pretty late.” Api said, looking out the tree house’s windows. “We don’t wanna be gettin’ ourselves grounded when we’re this close...”

“Sure.” Pixel said while packing away the deck of cards she had been idly shuffling. “Meet here again at 8, right?”

Echo sighed, before nodding.

“What’s up, Echo?” Api asked.

“I just...” Echo paused, bit her lip. She shook the doubts from her mind, before taking a deep breath and continuing. “I just don’t think this is going to end well...”

“Aww, c’mon Echo,” Pixel rushed over to hug the young Pegasus. “Api’s been planning this for days. What’s the worst that could happen?”

***

The Following Morning...

“Echo!” Api screamed over the hissing cider press. “Ya need to get that vent open!”

“I’m on it!” Echo yelled back as she flew over the bulging contraption. It only took a few seconds to find the clogged chute on the top of the press. “Alright, I’ve found it! I just need a little time to get this branch out...”

“How in Celestia’s name did that get in there?” Api asked herself, before turning to Pixel. “Alright, Pixie, now all ya gotta is keep holdin’ on ta that pressure release ‘til Echo clears the vent, ya hear?”

“What?” Pixel asked, shifting her focus to her small friend. Her pale aura faded from around the valve she had been holding in place since they had started. “Oh that can’t be goo...”

Her voice was soon drowned out by the meshing of gears and the creaking of wood. The three fillies were all frozen with shock and fear (Although if anyone else asked, they would never admit it...).

The first to react was Echo, brought back to her senses by the geyser of froth that erupted not five feet from her. Her scream then awoke Pixel and Api.

“Get outta there, Echo!” Api managed to yell, before the walls of the press began to splinter. Echo wasted no time flying straight out the open barn door. Breathing a sigh of relief, Api turned to where she had last seen her other friend. “Pixel? Are ya OK?”

“I’m coming, Api, just get yourself clear!” Pixel shouted just as she managed to jump clear of the controls. Barely a second later, the outer walls of the press finally collapsed, showering the barn with sparks and splinters. She ran through the cloud of dust, smoke and steam towards the orchard after her friends. A few seconds later, the barn’s walls buckled, before collapsing catastrophically, resulting in another shower

It only took twenty seconds from Pixel releasing the pressure valve, to the catastrophic failure of Applebloom’s new cider press and it’s barn. To the fillies, though, it seemed like the gauntlet they had run to escape had lasted hours.

“Are you two...OK?” Echo gasped.

“Yeah... I think so...” Pixel was just as out of breath as the shy Pegasus.

“Ah think we’re fine...” Api said, before she took one last gulp of air, and looked up, before face hoofing. “Pixie, ya mane...”

“Huh?” Pixel turned to the small Earth Pony. “What’s wrong with it?”

“It’s on fire again...” Echo rolled her eyes before pointing at the unicorn’s usually pale mane.

“Ha ha," Pixel deadpanned. “Come on, we just got covered in cider. There’s no way.”

“We ain’t kidding, Pixie...” Api dragged the unicorn over to a puddle, and shoved her in front of it. A quick glance had Pixel dancing on air.

“AHHHH! NOT AGAIN!” She cried, before dashing off down the road to town.

“PUT IT OUT, YA NUMBSKULL!” Api yelled after her. Echo hovered over to her, and the pair flopped to their haunches.

They barely had a chance to finish sitting down, before the silence of the farm was disturbed once more.

“API APPLE! WHAT IN CELESTIA’S NAME HAVE YA DONE TO MAH CIDER PRESS!?”

Api groaned, and looked behind her. Her mother was marching from the burning ruins of the barn. Api turned back to Echo. “Ah’m sorry, Echo, but ya’ll better get goin’, an’ fast. This was mah idea, Ah should take the fall,” She turned to face her mother again. “And Ah think Ah’ve gone and landed us in a world of Barney...”

Echo looked from her friend to a very angry Applebloom. She took a few steps towards one of the Orchards, before flying as fast as she could through the trees towards the far end of the little town.

***

Meanwhile, in the Town Centre...

“CLAIRE!” Pixel screamed as she stormed through Ponyville and into the Carousel Boutique. “IT’S HAPPENED AGAIN!”

Sweetie Belle, Rarity and Button Mash watched as the young Unicorn-fireball hybrid stormed up the stairs.

As Rarity raised an eyebrow, Sweetie Belle took another sip of her tea. Button Mash just continued to flip through his magazine.

“Was that Pixel Bit?” Rarity asked, as she bit her lip, trying to think of the havoc a combination of what appeared to be non-magical fire and her niece could cause to her home.

“Mhmm...” Sweetie Belle and Button Mash spoke in unison. The stallion turned a page while he spoke.

“I couldn’t help but notice she seemed to be, well, just the slightest bit on fire.”

“Mhmm...” The younger sibling took another sip of tea.

“Or that neither of you seemed to be concerned in the least...” Rarity began to eyeball the pair.

“Well, it is the fifth time this month...” Sweetie Belle looked up to see the shock on Rarity’s face. “...And I just realised we never mentioned this before, did we?” Sweetie Belle laughed sheepishly for a few seconds. “Alright, you remember when me, Applebloom and Scootaloo were... younger?”

A brief shudder suggested the older unicorn most certainly did. “All... that... tree sap.” Her eye twitched as she spoke.

“Well, it seems that setting her mane on fire is becoming Pixie’s tree sap.” Sweetie Belle refilled her cup as she spoke. “I was as worried as you the first few times, but it never seems to hurt her, and it seems like it’s brought her and Claire closer together...”

“Well, I must admit it is nice that they’re getting along, but I still can’t get my head around how you can just accept your daughter setting herself on fire, or that it doesn’t hurt. Surely that last one is a little strange, at least...”

“I think I can answer the second one...” Button Mash said, as he finally looked up from what he was reading. “How are we taught to use our magic?”

Rarity screwed her face up in confusion before answering. “To visualise what we want to happen, and use our will to make it happen. But I don’t see what that has to do with this situation.”

“Quite simple,” Button Mash sidled over to his wife, putting one hoof around her. “Our little Pixel is a bit of a dreamer. She might see things no-one else sees from time to time. She also really loves her games. So, if you have a girl who’s completely convinced that something which would normally be extremely difficult to pull off is not only possible, but how the world actually works...”

“...Then her magic will make it happen much easier than should be possible,” Rarity finished, having some idea where the discussion was headed, even if there were still a few gaps. “So, what, does she think she’s invincible?”

“No, nothing so strange as that,” Button Mash chuckled slightly. “If anything, a game mentality would tell her she could be hurt by quite mundane things. However, it’s not quite so hard for her to ignore the pain from the fire when she knows that burns don’t hurt outside of battle...”

“It doesn’t make any sense to me either, sis,” Sweetie Belle said, seeing the incredulous look Rarity was giving her husband. She leant into Button Mash before continuing. “But she never really gets hurt, and she always seems to run straight for Button or Claire. She seems to know the fire could hurt her. It just isn’t doing right then and there. Think of it being a little like Pinkie. She’s a smart filly. She’s just approaching reality from a different angle...”

Rarity sighed. “I fear I’m going to understand my niece as well as I understood you at her age, aren’t I?” Looking at the subdued nod from her little sister, Rarity tried to bring a smile to her face. “I still don’t understand what sharing all your old foalhood stories was meant to accomplish. It certainly doesn’t appear to have scared away from that path...”

Sweetie Belle gained a strange, far-off look in her eyes, and a slight smile. “You thought those were meant to scare her off?” Sweetie Belle caught Rarity’s look of disbelief. “Alright, I know we caused a lot of problems back then, but I wouldn’t trade one second of those times for the world, sis. I don’t know about the others, but I know I wasn’t trying to make them the next CMC, or trying to stop that either. I just wanted them to see how having good friends can make anything better.

Their conversation was interrupted by the sound of footsteps. Pixel Bit cantered through the Boutique. When she reached the door, she turned and called up the stairs. “Thanks Claire. See you around!”

The dragon-pony hybrid soon appeared at the bottom of the stairs. “Oh, hello Auntie, hello Uncle,” She waved at the pair of them, before turning to Sweetie Belle. “Auntie, I think you might want to go visit Applebloom...”

“And I think I’ll take that as my cue...” Sweetie finished her cup of tea, before rising from her chair. “I’ll see you later sis, see you later Claire...” She hugged her family, before giving Button a quick peck on the cheek, and struggling to her feet. “Can you help me over to Sweet Apple Acres, Button? I’m not sure I should try and go that far like this by myself...” She indicated her extremely swollen figure.

As she leant into her Husband’s side, she thought Well, I wonder what you’ve gotten yourself into this time, Pixie...

***

At the other side of Ponyville...

“Yeah, yeah, laugh it up, Rumble,” Scootaloo said as she wheeled herself into their kitchen. “That’s the last time I let you talk me into trying a double loop circuit.”

“Sorry, Scoots,” Her husband said sheepishly, biting his lips as he walked over to the counter. “I really did think you could make it, though. You’ve gotten a lot better on the loop now, you gotta admit.”

“I know, but I can’t remember ever having a worse wipe-out...”

“Not even when you were a filly?”

“Hey, tree sap is amazing at absorbing impacts...” Scootaloo said, as she pulled up at the table. “Well, either that or I hit my head so hard back then I can’t remember how bad they really were...”

“I’m just surprised you actually managed to spend enough time at school to graduate, given that scrapbook.”

“Heh...” Scootaloo gingerly rubbed a hoof at the base of her mane, before rapidly shaking her head and staring at her husband. “Hey, stop changing the subject. You’re still doing all the chores ‘til I’m out of this thing.”

Before Rumble could think of a response, their front door flew open, shortly followed a very out of breath Pegasus filly.

“Acres...” she said as she gasped for breath. “Cider... Press... Blew... Barn... Bloom... Mad... Now...”

While Rumble just looked shocked at the nonsensical stream of words, Scootaloo went over them in her mind for a few seconds.

“You just came from Sweet Apple Acres, You were using the Cider Press, but it blew up in the Barn.”

Echo nodded along, still trying to catch her breath.

“And now Applebloom’s really mad, so I should get down there now?”

The filly nodded more energetically.

“Alright then, I’ll get going. Rumble, can you help her calm down while I’m gone?”

“Won’t you need my help getting over there?”

“I’m not helpless, Rumble. I can get there fine myself,” Scootaloo leant down and nuzzled Echo’s cheek. “But Echo needs one of us, and you don’t know how to work ‘Bloom like me or Sweetie.”

“Alright, but don’t be too long, it’s your turn to do the washing up.” Rumble said as she headed out the kitchen.

“Nice try, but not gonna work.”

Daughter and Husband watched as the door swung shut again. After almost a minute of heavy breathing, Echo’s mind finally caught up with what had just happened.

“Loop de Loop?” Echo asked, as she finally took a seat at the table.

“Well, a double loop, but yeah.” Rumble said, as he started rooting through the cupboards.

“Figures...” Echo paused for a while, idly scratching one of her forehooves with the other. “How’d she do?”

“Got about halfway up the second loop, but she started to panic, and her wings went out of synch.” Rumble watched his daughter, who seemed to be completely distracted.

“But, you’re not really asking about that, are you?”

“Huh?” Echo snapped back to attention.

“You’re just trying to keep your mind off what happened in the Orchards, aren’t you?”

“I’m that obvious?”

Rumble snorted. “You’re really like your mother, you know that?” He pulled a bag out from a cupboard, and placed it on the counter, before walking around the table. He pulled his daughter into a hug, and nuzzled her cheek. “Don’t worry, your mother’s going to sort this all out. You’ll probably still end up grounded, but hopefully she should keep Applebloom calm enough that it won’t be worse than that. Trust her, OK?”

Echo breathed a sigh of relief, and hugged Rumble back. “OK, dad.”

Author's Note

Firstly, I want to note once again that Pixel Bit, Echo and Api Apple are the creations of Kilala97, as is the cover art.

As for the CMC - Scootaloo and Applebloom's special talents aren't made entirely clear in Kilala's Next gen Canon, as well as whether Scootaloo can fly or not. So I'm using a fairly standard Applebloom talent - some variation of an Engineer or Mechanic - and one I've seen in another Kilalaverse fic by LuminoZero - A Little Push. I'm not going as far as to say Scootaloo can't fly here. Just having her injured so i don't have to answer right now.

Just so people know, this isn't a story with a definitive start and end. I'm going to be updating it as I have ideas for it and write them up. All I know so far is that Chapter 2 will pick up pretty much where Chapter 1 leaves off, and Chapter 3 will go back and show what exactly happened when the P.A.S attempted to capture the Ponyville Dragons.

Chapter 2 - Cleaning Up

CHAPTER 2 – Cleaning up...
“First, yer gonna pick up every dang piece, and put it in a nice, neat pile over there,” Applebloom pointed towards a large scorch mark on the ground. “An’ then ya gonna do tha same fer the barn, and put that pile over there.” She pointed towards the concrete foundations the barn used to stand on.

Api just nodded sullenly, the already small pony shrinking under her mother’s tirade.

“An’ then ya gonna be grounded fer at least two weeks.”

“Two weeks!?” Api looked up at her mother, barely holding back tears.

“At least two. If Ah find out ya’ve been wastin’ any time while ya doin’ this, it’s gonna be more,” Api collapsed, not caring about the slurry beneath her feet. Applebloom looked down at her daughter. As much as she wanted to go easy on her, the fact that the barn she’d built to stand up to Sonic Rainboom and Derpy level catastrophes was lying around her shredded just wouldn’t get out of her head. Taking a brief look down the path, she saw her old friends struggling down the path towards her. “Now, Ah’m gonna go talk to mah friends. When Ah git back, Ah expect ya ta have started.”

Applebloom walked past her still sniffling daughter, to intercept her friends. “Hey girls, what's goin’ on?”

“Pixel and Echo came home not long ago...” Sweetie Belle started.

“...And we figured we should come and check on things here.” Scootaloo finished.

Applebloom looked at the pair. Sweetie was definitely starting to show now. However, she was more shocked by the changes to her Pegasus friend. “What happened, Scoots? The loop again?”

“Why does everypony always say that?” Scootaloo said, rolling her eyes. She then sighed, and stared at the floor. “But, yeah, it was.”

“Well, Ah’m not sure what y’all can do ta help,” Applebloom said, looking over her friends again. “Especially with how ya are right now...”

“We weren’t coming to help clear up,” Sweetie said, wincing as she started towards the farmhouse again. “We were coming to make sure you didn’t do something stupid,” she spoke, before looking past her old friend, to see the forlorn figure of Api. “But it looks like we were too late...”

Applebloom snorted. “Do y’all even know what her an’ her fool friends have gone an’ done this time?”

“Blew up your old cider press?” Scootaloo questioned, raising an eyebrow. “’Bloom, I figured you’d be upset,” she looked past to Api herself. “But don’t you think that’s goin’ overboard a bit?”

Applebloom sighed, and her shoulders slumped. “Ah think it might be best if we finished this up somewhere a mite quieter...”

The red-maned farm pony turned back up the path, walking round to the cellar doors for the farm house. She nosed one of the doors open, and waited for her friends to slowly make their way down.

Once inside, Applebloom produced mugs of cider, handing one to Scootaloo, before placing a large beanbag down for Sweetie Belle. “Ya want some juice or anythin’, Sweetie?”

She shook her head. “No, I’m ok. Thanks for the cushion though.”

“So what was that all about up there?” Scootaloo asked, narrowing her eyes and glaring at Applebloom. “Echo looked pretty shook up when she got home. And then we get here, and you’re just about tearing Api’s head off.”

Applebloom took a swig of her cider, not even looking at her old friends. “Do ya remember those Flim Flam Brothers?”

“Well, yeah, they didn’t exactly make themselves easy to forget...” Sweetie Belle gave Applebloom a curious glance. “But what does that have to do with Api?”

“What was it they brought with ‘em the firs’ time they came ta town?”

“Umm... What was it they called it?” Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo started to exchange looks as they tried to remember.

“I know it started with ‘Super’...”

“It was a pretty big number too...”

Then Sweetie Belle’s eyes went wide. “Oh, oh! I think I remember!” She cleared her throat violently for a few seconds. “The Super Cider Squeezy 6000!” She sang in a similar accent to the old pair of con ponies. Then her jaw fell open, and she turned to face her friend. “Oh no...”

“Yeah. Why d’ya think it was sat in a barn all these years?” Applebloom slumped down, her face resting on one hoof. “AJ an’ Mac have been lettin’ me handle buildin’ the new barns since before me an’ Pip got hitched. An’ Ah’ve been reparin’ Mac’s ploughs since before Ah had Api. But that press... It took me five years ta sort out the kinks. And every year, they said no. ‘Cause they just couldn’t forget those two stupid ponies and their Celestia damned pile o’ junk...”

“I still don’t see what this has to do wimp hmmm...” Scootaloo started, before she found a white hoof in her mouth.

“Scoots, I don’t think she’s finished...” Sweetie Belle’s voice was soft and quiet.

“Five years to sort out the kinks...” Applebloom said, her eyes glazed over by nostalgia. “An’ another five ta convince Equestria’s stubbornest ponies ta give it a shot. Five minutes for Api an’ ya girls to reduce it an’ the best barn Ah’ve built to scrap an’ splinters,” she downed the rest of her cider. “That was mah one chance, girls. No way they’re gonna let me even build another out here, let alone try it out. Shoot, they might not even let me build another barn without runnin’ mah blueprints past every builder in town firs’...”

“Oh, come on, ‘Bloom.” Scootaloo rolled her eyes. “You can’t really think they’d be that harsh.”

Applebloom merely waved a hoof in the general direction of the doors, as she started to cry. “Well, the Apple already didn’t fall far from the tree...”

Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo got the impression she wasn’t talking about Api...

***

Just outside the cellar...

As Api heard the sound of her mother crying she pulled her friends away from the open doorway.

“Ah don’ think Ah’ve ever felt this small...” The young Earth pony spoke with a shaky voice, her eyes glistening.

“And that’s saying something...” Pixel said, jokingly, before receiving a soft slap to the back of her head from Echo, and glares from both her friends. “Sorry...”

“Ah really think we dun goofed this time...” Api just stared at the ground.

“So what are we going to do about it?” Echo asked after an uncomfortable silence.

“What d’ya mean?” Api looked up at her Pegasus friend.

“C’mon, you two are always the ones with ideas.” Echo said, sitting on the floor. “And saying sorry ‘til we run out of breath isn’t going to cut it this time. Even for Pixie...”

Api rubbed her chin with one of her hooves while she tried to think of a plan. “...Blueprints...” She said to herself.

“What was that, Api?” Pixel Bit asked. “You got something?”

“Maybe? Ah’m not sure...” Api said, while she ran over the idea in her head a few times. “Alright, but if we get caught, we’ll be even worse off than we already are. So ya don’t have ta join me fer this.”

“And let you take all the credit if it works out?” Echo quipped, gently pushing her shorter friend. “Not gonna happen, Api.”

“Yeah, we’re friends,” Pixel added. “’United we stand’, remember?”

“Alright, just don’t say Ah didn’t warn ya,” Api whispered, before pulling the others into a huddle. “Pixie, Ah need ya to keep an eye on our ma’s. Echo, ya need ta git down ta mah place. Ah’ll check here...

“Wouldn’t it make more sense for you to be checking your house?” Echo asked. Api just shook her head.

“No time,” Api bit her lip as she answered. “No way Ah can git there an’ back before they’re done down there. An’ ya need ta make sure mah Pa don’ see ya. First, we’re gonna try ta swipe those blueprints...”

Api ran through the plan quickly. Her friends just nodded along where appropriate.

“Ya got it all?” The continued nodding suggested they had. “Alrigh’, but be careful. We’re only gonna git one shot at it...”

Pixel put one of her forehooves in, expecting the others to follow her. She was shocked when Echo facehooved.

“Sure, let’s do a team shout when we’re trying to be stealthy...” Echo snarked. “There’s no way yelling the plan to the whole farm yard could be a problem...”

“Oh, right...” Pixel Bit rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. “So, what should I do if they start to leave?”

“Ah trust ya, Pixie. Ya’ll think of somethin’...”

***

In the farmhouse...

Api dodged her way past the creaky floorboards at the top of the stairs, and started making her way down the corridor.

Bathroom... Applejack and Caramel’s... Attic Stairs... She mentally checked off each door as she passed.

“An’ here we are,” She said under her breath as she reached the final door. “Ma’s room.”

She gave the door a tentative push, wincing as it creaked open. The weight of the door pulled it fully open despite the lack of effort Api had put into the shove.

She quickly darted past the various toolboxes to a large filing cabinet. She pulled open the lowest drawer, and started to leaf through the folders...

***

Somewhere in Ponyville...

Echo landed a short way from the familiar house, stretching her wings to ease the aching.

She took a few deep breaths as she walked up to the door. Checking to make sure nopony was watching her, she snuck through the door, and quickly turning to stop the door slamming closed behind her.

A quick check of the ground floor, including Applebloom’s workshop, turned up nothing. Echo sighed, and stared at the staircase. She gave a sigh, before heading up the stairs.

Please don’t be in, Please don’t be in... The mantra repeated in her head as she ascended, but was soon interrupted by a very loud noise.

“ZZZZZZ...” Pip’s snoring echoed down the narrow staircase.

Or asleep... Echo mentally added to her light sigh of relief. Asleep works too...

She was in the room in a flash, and set about searching through anything that might contain the papers she was looking for...

***

Outside the cellar...

Pixel Bit was starting to get worried. Her mom and her friends had been quiet for a while now, and she’d been hoping that her friends would have found the blueprints quickly.

Then she’d heard movement, and approaching voices from the cellar.

Uh-oh... Pixel thought, quickly looking around in a panic. I don’t have long... Need to warn the girls... What do I do? What do I doooo?

She started to pace frantically, as she desperately tried to think of any way to warn her friends. It was then she caught sight of her reflection in one of the farmhouse windows. There was one thing...

She waited and hoped for any other idea to pop into her head, but she knew she was out of time when she could hear what the voices beneath her were saying.

“Could you give me a hand, Applebloom?” Sweetie Belle asked, sounding breathless. “Getting down is a lot easier than getting up...”

“Yeah, well at least you can still use the stairs...” Scootaloo added in a huff.

“Probably not for very much longer, though...” The singer quipped back.

Pixel turned back to the window, and her shoulders slumped.

The things I do for those friends of mine... You two owe me big for this one...

Then the unicorn filly took a deep breath, and sparked her horn into life...

***

In the farmhouse...

Api pushed the stool back under the desk, glowering at the cabinet while she massaged the shoulder she fell on.

Why do they always put the things I want in the top drawers? Api thought while rolling up the papers she’d found.

She’d just let the door shut behind her when a sound pricked her ears. A very loud sound.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!”

There was no doubt as to who was behind the sound.

Pixel? Api thought, her careful walk instantly becoming a dash. As she hit the stairs, a thought passed through her mind.

Tell me she didn’t...

A quick glance through the windows confirmed her worst fears, and she facehooved.

She did...

Api dashed over to the sink, and started filling up a bucket...

***

In Ponyville...

Echo slowly walked away from the house, a piece of notebook paper securely tucked beneath her wing.

Well, not what I was looking for... Echo thought, as she turned towards Sweet Apple Acres. But it could still come in handy...

As she hit the Orchard path, she heard a high pitch sound echoing around the trees.

“AAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!”

“Pix!?” Echo yelled to nopony in particular. “I’m coming Pix!”

The Pegasus took the scrap of paper out from beneath her wing, stuck it between her teeth, and flew as fast as she could manage toward the farmhouse, veering off into the trees when she caught sight of her mother and her friends crowding round the burning Unicorn.

***

In the farmhouse...

“C’mon ya darned tap, run faster!” Api said, tapping one of her rear hooves against the floorboards impatiently.

When the bucket was finally full, she realised something was still tapping. Looking up, she noticed Echo tapping rapidly on the window.

“Thank Celestia,” Api said as she opened the window. “Ah was wonderin’ how Ah was gonna get this out...” She almost tossed the blueprints into Echo’s hooves. “Now, ya need ta get goin’. Jus’ wait on the path, and say ya’ll take Pixie t’see Claire. An’...” The small Earth Pony gulped. “...Don’t worry ‘bout me...”

Echo nodded. “You better get that water out there, before they start asking for you...” She said, before biting her lip, and flying off for the trees.

Api sighed, took the bucket in her mouth, and made for the farmhouse door.

***

Outside the Farmhouse...

Another puddle formed at Pixel Bit’s hooves as she continued to frantically run in a circle.

“PUT IT OUT PUT IT OUT PUT IT OUT!” She cried as another lance of water flew just past her burning mane.

“Hold her still!” Sweetie Belle yelled as she focused on drafting another round of water.

“Ah’m tryin’,” Applebloom replied, as she tried to grab hold of the burning filly again, with another mud bath being the only result. “But Ah jus’ can’t get a good grip...”

Scootaloo was torn. Her friend’s attempts to contain one filly were hilarious. The fact the filly was on fire did make her try her hardest not to laugh.

If it were anypony other than Pixel Bit, that might have worked, too...

“Scootaloo, stop laughing at us and help!” Sweetie Belle stomped a hoof as she spoke.

“How?” Scootaloo said, as she wiped a tear from her eye, the chuckles finally dying down. “I can’t wheel through the mud, I’m not a unicorn, and I can’t make enough of a breeze to put her out, even if I could flap my wings...”

“Girls, not now!” Applebloom said, as she tried another dive for the filly, with similar results as the other five attempts.

“Ah’ve got it!” Api cried as she finally emerged from the farmhouse, carrying a bucket of water. A few seconds later, she was staring at a thoroughly drenched Pixel Bit and Applebloom. She ignored her mother for the moment, hugging her friend. “Better, Pixie?”

The unicorn nodded behind the curtain of mane she now had.

“Alrigh’, Ah think ya should probably get Claire ta check ya over like normal though...” She sighed as she broke the hug, and looked over the once again drenched farmyard. “An’ Ah should git back ta work...”

“Pix? Are you OK?” Echo asked as she trotted down the main path, running towards her friends. "I could hear the screaming from town..."

Pixel Bit gave another small nod.

“You want me to walk you home?”

“Y-Yeah...” Pixel Bit shivered slightly as she spoke.

“Alright.” Echo laid a wing over her friend and turned back to the Path.

“Wait a second.” Scootaloo said, as she began to wheel herself around the mud pit that Sweet Apple Acres had become. “Don’t think we’re just going to forget this morning, Echo. You’re still going to be g...”

A white hoof laid itself across her shoulder. “Scoots, I think that can wait until we make sure, Pixel’s OK, right?”

Scootaloo looked to her old friend, seeing her eyes watering. She sighed and lowered her head. “...Fine.” She turned back to her daughter. “You go straight to the boutique, and wait there for me to get back.”

Echo nodded at her mother, and set off towards Ponyville.

Api mentally sighed in relief. Alright, Phase One complete... It’s down to you two now. Good luck, girls.

***

In Ponyville...

“Did you get them?” Pixel asked after warming up a little.

“Api got the prints.” Echo nodded as she lifted her wing off her friend, and flapped it a little, trying to warm the limb up. “I got somethin’ that might help too...”

“You two owe me, by the way...” Pixel added as the Carousel Boutique came into view.

“Huh?” Echo asked, as she turned to her friend in surprise. “What for?”

“I had to set myself on fire...” Pixel Bit shuddered.

“Why’d you do that?” Echo raised an eyebrow.

“I panicked!” Pixel Bit’s voice squeaked. “They were coming and I didn’t know what to do and I saw some of my singed mane and I just did something.”

“But you’re ok right?” Echo asked, resting a hoof on her friend’s shoulders, looking her in the eyes. “You’re not hurt, right?”

Pixel shook her head. “I’m not hurt. Doesn’t mean I like being on fire, dummy.”

The young Pegasus hugged her friend. “Alright, as soon as this is over, all the shakes at Sugarcube Corner are on me and Api for a week.”

Pixel smiled a little.

“Welcome back, Pix,” Echo said, smiling back. “Now, let’s go face the music.”

The pair walked into the Boutique.

“Welcome to Carousel Boutique, where everything is unique, chic and c’...” Came a sing song voice, as the shop’s bell rang, soon followed by Crystal Clarity walking into the entrance hall. “Oh, hello Pixel, Echo.”

“Hi, Claire,” Pixel said, walking over to her cousin. “You’re getting really good at that.”

“I’ll say...” Echo said. “I actually thought you were Rarity ‘til you came in...”

“Well, one doesn’t like to brag...” Crystal Clarity said, scratching her claws against her chest. “But I had the best teacher. Now, what brings you here?”

“Well, two things...” Pixel said sheepishly. “First, it happened again. Do you have any ointment left?”

“I think it’s a good thing I started buying in bulk...” Claire said under her breath. “I do believe there’s some upstairs, yes. And the second?”

“Well, remember this morning?”

“Somewhat.” Claire said, tilting her head. “It was only this morning, after all...”

“Ha Ha.” Echo deadpanned.

“It’s to do with that...” Pixel Bit said, as she motioned for Echo to lay out the papers.

“Oh no.” Claire said, before they had even finished preparing. “I am most definitely not going to help you try and build this contraption.”

“We’re not trying to rebuild it!” Echo practically growled. “We can barely read this stuff as it is! Even Api doesn’t know where to start...”

“Then I don’t see what you’re hoping to accomplish here...”

“We just need to get the parts so Applebloom can build a new one...” Pixel Bit said, giving her cousin the best pout and puppy-dog stare she could pull off. “We all think we really messed up this time. We want to say sorry, but I don’t think that’s going to do it.”

“So you just want to get out of being punished?” The dragon-pony asked, her voice turning a little colder.

Both fillies shook their heads.

“Even if that was it, we know it wouldn’t work.” Echo said, sitting on her haunches. “Api’s already picking up the scrap from the old one, and grounded once she’s done. And in about ten minutes, the same thing’s going to happen to us too.”

Crystal Clarity looked over the two fillies, and then turned back to the blueprints. After a minute or two, she sighed. “I’m sorry girls, but I can’t help you. I just don’t have the spare bits to get everything.”

“Then I suppose you’re lucky you have family, dear.” A navy-blue field wrapped around the blueprints, and levitated them into one of the drawers. Spike and Rarity wandered into the Boutique from the Entrance. “You should be thankful your mothers are currently slowed down. Or they would almost certainly have beaten us here.”

“How much did you hear?” Echo asked, wincing.

“Enough to know that we should help you.” Rarity said, smiling at the two fillies. “However, these materials will cost a not insignificant amount of bits... I’m afraid we can’t just give them to you, girls.”

Pixel Bit nodded in understanding. “You can have my allowance ‘til we’ve paid it back...”

Echo bit her lip, before agreeing. “Mine too.”

Rarity shook her head. “Girls! That will not be necessary.” Her smile stretched, to the point it made all the others present a little uncomfortable. “We can make the arrangements once this is all smoothed over...”

The two fillies shared a glance, and came to the same conclusion. Maybe we might be better off sticking with the allowance thing anyway...

A cough brought the pair back to reality. “Pixel, we really should go put the ointment on your head. Before Auntie Sweetie gets here...”

The filly nodded and fled for the stairs, her cousin not far behind her. A few moments later, a very out of breath Sweetie Belle staggered into the Boutique, followed shortly by Scootaloo.

“Is... she... here?” Sweetie Belle panted.

“She’s upstairs.” Echo said, walking over to her mother. “Claire’s just putting some ointment on her head.”

“Alright, let’s get going then.” Scootaloo said as Echo moved behind her. “I’ll talk to you later, Sweetie. Bye Rarity, Bye Spike.”

The pair headed out the door. Sweetie Belle waved goodbye, before heading for a rather large pile of cushions. She took a few deep breaths as she settled down. “I’m just going to rest my eyes for a minute. Let me know when Pixie gets do...” She started, but was snoring as soon as her head hit a pillow.

“Shall we go get the ball rolling, darling?” Rarity whispered to Spike, frightened of waking her exhausted sister.

Spike nuzzled his wife, before whispering in her ear. “Lead the way.”

***

A few days later...

Applebloom and Pipsqueak were rudely awoken by a knocking on their door. A look out the bedroom window revealed it to be a delivery pony.

“You expecting anything, love?” Pipsqueak, as he turned to look out the other side of the window.

“Nah, why?” She asked, before turning in his direction, only for her lower jaw to hit the window sill.

“Call it a hunch?” He said, looking at the large pile of lumber.

“Ah’m comin’! Ah’m comin’!” Applebloom yelled as the pony started to knock again. She almost yanked the door off its hinges. “Can Ah help you?”

“Delivery for you, Applebloom.” Dinky said, levitating over a clipboard and a quill. “Just need you to sign here...”

“But Ah didn’ order anything...” Applebloom said, looking at the pile of lumber and... were those gears?

“I know, but it’s still addressed to you.” Dinky said, raising the objects in her field an inch or two. “Sign, please?”

“But Ah can’t pay fer all this...” Applebloom whined, her eyes not leaving the materials in the street.

“And you don’t have to. It says right here on the forms,” The quill dotted next to a very large word. “See? ‘Prepaid’,” Dinky moved the clipboard right in front of Applebloom’s eyes. “Now can you please sign, Applebloom? I’ve got three more deliveries this morning, and it took forever to lift all of this here...”

Applebloom blushed a little in embarrassment. “Sorry, Dinks,” She bit down on the quill, and signed the forms. “Ya know who did all this fer me?”

“Err... There was a note with the form.” Dinky started flicking through the papers on her clipboard. “Ah, here we go.” She handed the small scrap of paper over to Applebloom.

To Ma/Applebloom

We’re sorry we messed things up...

We hope this makes it up to you...

From

The Ponyville Adventuring Society

(Api Apple, Pixel Bit and Echo)

Applebloom dropped the note as she ran back into her house.

Dinky looked from the vacant doorway to the pile of goods blocking the street, and then to her signed delivery form.

She quickly decided it wasn’t her problem anymore. She also decided to get out of there quickly, before anyone decided to think otherwise...

***

Inside the House...

Api Apple was partly awoken by a pair of hooves wrapping around her.

“Ma?” Api asked, when she had finally realised who was hugging her. When she noticed the tears, she snapped upright in her bed. “Ma, ya OK?”

Applebloom nodded, before squeezing her little filly tighter. “Thank ya, Api. Ah don’t know how ya did it, but thank ya.”

Api was puzzled for a few seconds before she finally realised what her mother must have been talking about. Her arms wrapped around her mother in return. “We had ta get some help...” Api’s voice grew shakier. “Ya... Ya not still mad at us, are ya?”

“Ah wasn’t mad before, Api.” Applebloom sniffed. “Ah was jus’ scared.” And then she laughed a little. “Ah think Ah know how AJ musta felt back then now...” She looked her daughter in the eye. “When Ah saw that barn and press jus’... gone... Ah was scared ya might’ve been hurt real bad... An’ then when ya weren’t, Ah just wanted ta make sure ya knew how durned foolish y’all had been...”

Api looked crestfallen, and stared down at her bed. “Ah’m sorry, Ma...”

“Ah know...” Applebloom hugged her daughter. “An’ Ah went overboard. Fer that, Ah’m sorry. But, yer still grounded ‘til the end o’ the week.”

Api opened her mouth to protest, until she did the math in her head, and saw the smile on her Mother’s face. “Ya sure?”

A small wink. “Call it time off fer good behaviour,” She said, as she got off the bed, Api jumping down behind her. “An’ Ah’ll pass the message on to Scoots and Sweetie.” She walked over to the stairs. “But, since yer still grounded, ya’ve gotta help me get the things into the workshop...”

Api faked a groan, before a huge smile spread across her face. “Sure, Ma...”

***

Outside Carousel Boutique, A week later...

“This is cruel and unusual punishment...” Echo whined, as she saw what Rarity had in store for the three fillies.

“It isn’t punishment,” Rarity pointed out. “I fulfilled my end of the bargain, this is yours.”

“Ain’t there somethin’ against this?” Api moaned. “Ah thought slavery weren’t allowed.”

“It’s not slavery if you’re getting paid.”

“But we’re not getting paid...” Pixel said, attempting to both reason with her aunt while giving her the Look.

“Firstly, you are getting paid,” Rarity said, before quickly dashing the hopes of the fillies. “And you are graciously donating that pay back to me for prior services rendered. Secondly, I grew up with your Mother, Pixel Bit. I’ve been immune to the Look for at least a decade...”

Pixel Bit grumbled under her breath, as she spread her field around the small wagon Rarity had revealed to her. "There's no way we can win with her, is there Uncle Spike?"

Spike looked at the filly, then to his wife, before chuckling slightly. "She says no, there isn't."

The three fillies rolled their eyes and gagged.

“Now girls, when we get there, stay close to Mother, Father or me.” Crystal Clarity said after securing her wagon. “There are Diamond Dogs in the hills, but they wouldn’t dare approach any of us.”

Api looked over the three adults of the group. “Ah can see why they’d be scared o’ Spike or Claire,” she said, turning to Rarity. “But why would they avoid y’all?”

Claire and Spike sniggered a little. The small convoy started to move off out of town. “We’ll tell you the story on the way.” Spike said as he finally managed to stop laughing. “It’s an oldie, but a goodie...”

***

The Ponyville Adventuring Society Clubhouse...

“... And that’s why we haven't been around the last few weeks.” Pixel Bit finished, as she levitated the small note back onto the small, dusty shelf marked as ‘Quest Rewards’. She turned back to the table, and dealt out the cards.

“Well, you’ve certainly had an interesting time,” Night Light responded, throwing a card into the middle of the small table, and taking another from the deck. “How’d the press work out in the end?”

“Api says they were still a little short, but they think they’ll actually have extra next year.” Pixel Bit looked over her hand. “You remember what we were playing?”

“No clue, but I think I’m losing...” Night Light looked at his cards from a different angle. They didn’t look any better. “Yeah, I’m losing.”

“I don’t know, It’s not looking that pretty over here either...”

“It must be better than that,” Night Light grinned at the other unicorn. “You’re over there...”

Pixel Bit raised her cards, and rolled her eyes behind them. Well, that tells me where your holiday was...

“So, you do anything fun visiting Valiant Heart?”

“Nah, it was pre...” Night Light started, before doing a double take. “Hey, how’d you know that? I never said where I went...”

Pixel Bit shrugged. “Lucky guess.”

Night Light eyed his friend suspisciously. “Alright, fine.” He looked down at his hand. “I’ve got two pair... What have you got?”

“Umm... White Sauce on the Mall with the Joker, the Bridge instructions and a Get out of Jail free card...” Pixel said, scratching her head. “Maybe we should both play from the same deck?”

“That could work...” Night Light nodded sagely, as he gathered the decks in his field, sorting them out into their respective sets. He shuffled the playing deck, and began dealing them out. “So, what happened with the dragon catching? You mentioned the results, but you didn’t really go into detail...”

“Oh, yeah.” Pixel said, picking up her hand. “It’s a bit late to get into it now, but I’ll tell the girls to meet up at the Library tomorrow, we can tell you then.”

“Alright.” Night Light said, studying his cards. “Can’t wait.”

Author's Note

And so ends the first adventure of the P.A.S

Next time, we find out a few more details of the aforementioned dragon capture attempts.

After that, I'm open to suggestions for any later chapters - I'm mostly coming up with these as I go.

Night Light and Valiant Heart are also Kilala OC's, in case anyone's wondering.

Chapter 3 - Dragon Catchers

CHAPTER 3 – Dragon Catchers...

Outside The Golden Oaks Library...

As the school bell rang for the end of the day, a cheer of joy echoed out from the Ponyville School Hall. Three fillies in particular raced from the doors back into town.

“So, what’s the plan for today, Api?” Echo asked, stretching the stiffness out of her wings as they walked.

“Well, Ah think Pixie said she had somethin’ fer us ta do,” Api said, looking over to their unicorn friend. “But she ain’t sayin’ what...”

“That’s ‘cause I know you’ll say no if I ask.” Pixel Bit said, sticking her tongue out.

“Know Ah’ll say no?” Api said, thinking things over as they moved past the Town Hall.

Echo looked over her two friends, and then thought about the path they were taking. “Ahh, the library...”

“The libr...” Api started to question, before the realisation struck. “Aww hay, Pixie. We jus’ got out fer the holiday’s. Can’t we have a day before we go an’ talk ta the bookworm?”

Pixel Bit just shook her head. “I already said we’d go tell him the 'Dragon Catchers' stories today, Api.”

Api turned to Echo for support, only to see the Pegasus waving her hooves in front of her. “Hey, this is something you have a problem with, Api,” Her eyes turned to the sky, and she took a few seconds before continuing. “Besides, it’d probably be better if we were there. Make sure Pix doesn’t just make it up as she goes.”

“Thanks, Echo,” Pixel Bit blinked, trying to figure out what Echo was saying. “I think?”

Api sighed. “Alrigh’, but ya’ll gotta buy tha snacks. Ah ain’t doin’ this wi’ out a few cupcakes at least.”

Echo and Pixel Bit shared a look, before answering in unison. “Deal.”

***

An hour later, Golden Oaks Library...

After the snacks had been sorted, the four foals sat around one of the reading desks.

“Alrigh’,” Api started, after taking a gulp of her shake. “Me an’ Echo ain’t exactly sure what Pixie told ya last time, so Ah don’t know where ta start.”

“Well, she gave me a brief summary of the results,” Night Light said, thinking over the story from the night before. “But not many details really.”

Api and Echo shared a look, then a nod. “Alrigh’, from the start, Ah guess...”

***

A few months earlier, The Sweet Apple Acres Tree house...

“Ah’m bored...” Api said, as she tossed her cards into the middle again.

“You’re just saying that ‘cause you’re losing...” Pixel Bit said, as she pulled yet more candy from the centre into her ever increasing hoard.

“Of course Ah’m losin’!” Api glared across the table at her friend. “Ah’m playin’ against a card shark!”

“I make no apologies for using my talents in this manner,” Pixel tried her best to imitate her Aunt’s accent. Seeing the rolled eyes her friend was giving her, she giggled before continuing in her normal voice. “Besides, you know I always share anyway...”

Api gave her a small smile, before sighing. “Ah’m still bored though...”

“Yeah, I know the feeling...” Echo’s voice came from a pile of cushions in the corner of the small tree house.

“Well, I’ve got something I was saving for a rainy day...” Pixel started, shaking her head half way through her own sentence. “But it’s probably really dumb. Actually, just ignore me,” Pixel stuck her tongue out slightly, pulling one of her infamous faces. “Api’s the ideas pony...”

“Yeah, you’re right.” Echo said, dragging her way out of the cushions. “I mean, it’s not even raining...”

“Clowns on the left o’ me, Jokers ta the right...” Api muttered. “Pixie, ya can’t know it’s a bad idea ‘til ya tell us. An’ even if it’s a bad un, at least it’s five minutes where we ain’t bored...”

“Alright,” Pixel said, levitating a scroll onto the table. “I had the idea after that talk our moms gave us. This is just the basics...”

Echo and Api looked over Pixel’s shoulders at the first line of the scroll.

The Ponyville Adventuring Society

***

Golden Oaks Library, Present day...

“Wait, so it was Pixie’s idea?” Night Light asked, looking at his three friends, a little shocked.

The girls all shared a little chuckle.

“Well, yeah, it was,” Pixel answered. “But Api came up with the charter and all that sort of... stuff. I just had the idea to make it an actual club.”

“And who came up with that chant?” Night Light asked, curiosity written across his face. Echo turned a paler shade of white, while Api blushed furiously.

“YA TOLD HIM ABOUT THA CHANT!?” Api yelled, as Pixel turned back to Night Light.

“So, anyway, I’d just told the girls about my idea...” She started back into the story as soon as her friend had finished her scream. Api debated between joining Echo in fainting, or testing whether her friends invulnerability was limited to just fire...

***

The Ponyville Adventuring Society Clubhouse, The Past...

“When d’ya come up with this, Pixie?” Api asked, not taking her eyes off the scroll.

“Like I said,” Pixel rubbed one foreleg with the other’s hoof “I’ve been thinking about it since that talk our moms had with us.”

“Well, it needs a bit o’ work,” Api gave one last look over the scroll, before giving Pixel the biggest grin she could manage. “But Ah think it’s a great idea!”

“Yeah, you did good Pix.” Echo tussled her friend’s mane.

“Thanks girls.” Pixel blushed, before sitting down on her beanbag. “Just wish I had something for us to actually do...”

“Well...” Api had a far off look as she spoke. “Much as Ah hate ta say it, even once we’ve drawn this up all real like, we still ain’t gonna be adventurers.”

Echo just looked confused. “And why’s that?”

“Well, ya gotta know there’s somethin’ ya’ve just gotta do before ya get ta be a real adventurer...”

“And what’s that?” Pixel asked, the playful gleam in her eyes back in full force.

“We gotta catch us a dragon!”

Echo’s confusion turned into shock. Pixel just started to smile. A quick look at their fearless leader and her unicorn friend told Echo all she needed to know. She sighed “I’m going to get out voted on this, aren’t I?”

An enthusiastic nod from Pixel all but confirmed her fears. Api drove the final nail in the coffin.

“Ah’m surprised ya even bothered ta ask...”

“So how do we do this?”

“Well, first, we’re gonna need a net...” Api formed a plan as Pixel started to make a list. After a few minutes back and forth between the pair, the ‘Quest Details’ were attached to the empty memo board.

“’Quest Details’,” Echo asked, as she finally saw the title on the scroll. “Seriously, Pix?”

“It’s the proper way to do this,” Pixel said. “Trust me.”

“Fine,” Echo turned to Api. “So, what do we do now?”

“Well, we need ta get the stuff before we try this,” Api tapped a hoof against her chin as she thought. “An’ we still need ta pick who we’re gonna try ta catch first...”

“T.” Pixel said automatically. Echo shook her head.

“I think it should be Spike.”

“And where are we going to get a net big enough?”

“Well, how do you plan on getting T alone,” Echo countered, taking a step towards Pixel. “He’s always with Anthea.”

“Na,” Api said, waving a hoof dismissively. “We need ta go fer Claire.”

Her friends both rounded on her.

“Claire!?” Echo said, a hoof pressed against her chest.

“Are you crazy!?”

“She’s got a temper, sharp claws, breathes fire, any of this sounding familiar?”

“I think we need ta start with T or Spike,” Pixel said, laying a foreleg round Api. “They’re not... well they’re less...”

“They’re not Claire.” Echo summed up as the Unicorn lost her steam.

“Yeah,” Pixel nodded, pointing a hoof towards Echo. “That.”

“Girls, Ah don’t think ya understand,” Api said, as her mischievous grin appeared on her face. “First, if we can’t catch T or Spike, we ain’t catchin’ Claire. An’ second, ya don’t go after a friendly dragon first. We’re doin’ this right, an’ that means it’s gotta be tha fierce ‘un first.”

Echo and Pixel looked at each other, and gulped. It told them they were both thinking the same thing. We’re doomed.

***

Golden Oaks Library, Present Day...

“It took us a few days to get everything ready, but we met up again at the end of the week...” Pixel commented, before she was interrupted by a groan. “Oh, hey, you’re awake again Echo! Want a cupcake?”

Echo blinked a few times as she sat back up in her seat. When she realised where she was, and who was still there, she shrank down in her seat, turning slightly green. “I don’t feel so good...”

“Great, now ya’ve broke Echo, Pixie...” Api facehooved. “Please tell me ya didn’t let anythin’ else slip?”

Pixel shook her head sheepishly. “Sorry, Echo...”

“Bit late for that now...” Echo whispered, before sighing and resting her head on her forelegs. “How much did I miss?”

“We were just getting ready to go and catch Claire...”

***

Ponyville Adventuring Society Clubhouse, The Past...

“Alrigh’, net.” Api said, as Echo held up the item.

“Net, check.” Pixel said as she crossed something off the small list she held in her field.

“Sleep powder.”

“Sleep powder, check.”

“Alrigh’, that’s everythin’.” Api said, nodding to herself.

“That’s all we’re taking?” Echo asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Yeah. Sleep powder should stun her,” Api pointed to the small vial. “An’ then we jus’ need ta get the net on her.”

“Fine,” Echo whined in response, before turning to Pixel and whispering “Five of Twist’s peppermints says the net doesn’t work.”

“Ah heard that.” Api deadpanned, staring at the Pegasus.

“Yeah, that wasn’t very nice.” Pixel said, before lowering her voice. “I say it’s ‘cause we’ll need more powder.”

“Aww, come on!” Api threw her hooves up in frustration as her friends giggled and hoof bumped to seal the bet. “Let’s just get goin’”

The three set off down the main path to the town.

***

Carousel Boutique, The Past...

“Hey girls,” Pixel said, as the three fillies stared at Claire’s twitching face. “I just remembered something...”

“Yeah, what’s that?” Echo asked, debating whether to throw the net yet or not.

“I don’t think those flowers really work on T or Claire...”

“Now ya tell us?” Api said, turning to face the blushing unicorn.

“That’s not all,” Pix said, still smiling. “I think they make Claire really sneezy too,” The smile dropped from her face, as she saw the stares her friends were giving her, and she realised she was still stood right in front of her fire breathing cousin. “Ahh! The net, Echo! Throw the ne...”

Just as Echo prepared to throw the net, a volley of azure flame flew out of Claire’s mouth, just over Api and Echo’s heads.

Unfortunately, Pixel Bit was always a little taller than her friends...

“AHHH! CLAIRE! TOO CLOSE!” Pixel screamed, as she panicked and stumbled back into Echo. Who proceeded to throw the net straight up as a result.

Claire scratched at her nose with one of her claws. “Girls, dat wasn’t berry funny...” She started, before she caught sight of the struggling fillies, and Pixel’s burning mane. She sighed, and brought one of her hooves to her face.

“Thanks, Claire...” Pixel Bit sighed in relief as she saw her cousin’s magic fade from her horns, and felt the heat from her mane disappear. “Now, can you help us out from under this?”

“I don’t see why,” Claire huffed, and turned her snout skywards. “Let this be a lesson to you. Don’t ever try to prank me.” The dragon-pony stormed back into the boutique in a huff.

“Alright, you’ve had your fun,” Echo said, after a few minutes had passed. “We got the message, loud and clear. Just let us out.”

“Yeah, let us out.” Api echoed.

After another minute’s silence, Pixel tried. “Claire?”

Another uncomfortable silence passed, before Api spoke up again. “She ain’t comin’ back, is she?” The shaking of her friend’s heads told her all she needed to know. “Aww hay. Alrigh’, we’re gonna have to get it off ourselves. Echo, can ya fly with this here net on us, or are ya stuck?”

“If I could just fly it off, I already would have...” Echo glared at the Earth pony.

“Ah ain’t askin ya ta get it off,” Api returned the glare. “Jus’ get us some slack, an’ we’ll go from there...”

***

Golden Oaks Library, Present day...

“I think it took us about an hour to get it off in the end...” Pixel laughed sheepishly, rubbing at the back of her head.

Night Light winced. “How come no-one helped you out?”

“Ah think that was Claire...” Api replied, staring at the floor. “She put a sign on the door, somethin’ about how it were our own fault.”

“Well, it was.” Echo mumbled from behind her hooves. “We did tell you we shouldn’t have tried to catch Claire...”

“Alrigh’, so it weren’t one o’ mah best plans...” Api admitted. “So we tried ta make sure we came up with somethin’ different fer T...”

***

Ponyville Adventuring Society Clubhouse, The Past...

“Are you sure this one will work?” Echo asked for the fifth time that afternoon.

“Fer cryin’ out loud...” Api face hooved, before massaging her forehead. “Yeah, Ah’m sure, Echo. Ah was sure tha last few times n’all. Stop ya frettin’.”

“OK, OK!” Echo held her hooves up in surrender.

“Good,” Api shook her head, before turning back to the slightly larger pile of items they had acquired this time. “Alrigh’, bigger net?”

“Bigger net, check.” Pixel crossed the item off as Echo struggled to lift it for the inventory.

“Ah think Ah’ll have ta carry that this time...” Api said to herself, before moving down the list. “Bowl o’ Ter... Turc... Gems.”

“Bowl of Gems, check.”

The trio shed a tear for their lost allowances.

“Anthea Distractor?” Api asked, before raising an eyebrow as Echo lifted up a scroll. The Pegasus just shrugged in mid air.

“Anthea Distractor, check,” Pixel nodded, before noticing the looks the other two were giving her. “What?”

“What is that?” Api questioned, staring at the smiling Unicorn.

“It’s a letter from Princess Twilight.”

“An’ how is that meant ta distract her?”

“She’s her student...”

“She’s blind...”

“Yeah...” Pixel said, her face turning dark for a few seconds. “That’s why she cheats...”

Echo and Api moved away from their friend until the mood passed.

“What Ah’m tryin’ ta say,” Api said once her heart had settled down, “Is that how is a letter gonna distract her when she can’t read it?”

“Well, we get T to read it?” Pixel looked at her friends as though that was the most obvious thing in the world. The other two just stood or hovered there.

It was Echo who spoke first. “That... could work...”

Api nodded. “Yeah, Ah’m sorry Ah doubted ya, Pixie.”

“Ehh, no big deal,” Pixel chuckled as her friends started to gather the equipment. “Now, let’s get going!”

***

Everfree Border, The Past...

Anthea rested her head on T’s foreleg, one of his leathery wings draped over her. She almost purred content as a gentle breeze blew across her mane. So peaceful...

“HEY ANNIE! HEY T!” Pixel yelled as she crested the hill between the couple and the town.

So long peace... Annie thought as she stood up and began stretching. She turned towards the voice. “Hi Pixie, how’re you?”

“Yeah, I’m great,” Pixel spoke hurriedly. “Look, I was at the Library talking to Nighty, and Twilight asked me to bring this to Annie...” she levitated the scroll over to T.

“Oooh, what’s it say T?” The pale unicorn looked up at her coltfriend.

“Umm... I can’t read all the words, but I think she’s asking you if you wanted a magic lesson this afternoon.”

“It has been a while...“ Annie thought, lost in thought briefly. She turned towards the cottage set just away from the field. “Mom, have you seen my magic books!?”

“Umm... I think they were in your room the last time I saw them...” A soft voice replied from just inside the door. “I can check the bookshelf for you though...”

“Thanks mom...” Anthea smiled as a yellow wing emerged from the doorway, like a beacon. “I’ll see you later, T!” She waved to the dragon-pony from the doorway, a slight blush emerging on her cheeks.

Just as the door shut, Pixel’s friends charged down the hill.

“Hey, T,” Api said, as she struggled to keep the strange bag balanced on her back. “Rarity asked us ta bring ya somethin’ ta eat...”

Echo landed beside him, depositing a small bowl of Turquoises in front of him.

“Well, thanks girls!” T said, smiling. He proceeded to pick out the smallest of the gems, and took an experimental bite.

While he was distracted, Api snuck around to his side, giving her friends a nod. Pixel used her magic to begin to unfold the net, while Api and Echo each grabbed one end.

“NOW!” Api yelled, before chucking the net over the utterly confused T.

“Huh?” He said, raising his head from the bowl of gems, turning to see a net snagged over his wings.

“Aww, that net wasn’t big enough...” Echo moaned. “Do we still have the old one?”

Api and Pixel both shook their heads.

T brought up one of his forelegs, and scratched his forehead. “Umm, Pixel, what are you doing?”

“We’re trying to catch a dragon.” Pixel stood proudly.

“But our net wasn’t big enough...” Echo waved a hoof towards the net that was very clearly only covering two thirds of the dragon-pony.

“I could try to make it fit better, if you want?” T offered, to which the girls just shook their heads.

“Nah, we gotta do it ourselves.” Api said, sighing. “Ah thought fer sure it was gonna work this time...”

Everyone in the field was then distracted by muffled voices from inside the cottage behind them. The voices spoke for almost a minute, before one of them yelled, scaring away many of the birds that were settled close by. “The girls did WHAT!?”

A very angry Anthea stormed out of the cottage.

“Girls! Why did you throw a net on T? You shouldn’t throw nets on ponies without their permission...”

Her lecture would have been more effective if it hadn’t been directed at a patch of wildflowers...

“Over here, Annie.” T said, now completely oblivious of the fillies hiding behind him. “Don’t worry, they were just playing some sort of game.”

Annie huffed. “Well, it still wasn’t very nice...” She sighed, before trying to lift the net in her magic. “Come on, let’s get you out of that...”

“Careful, it’s pretty heavy...”

“Don’t worry,” she said, smiling as it inched higher and higher. “I got it, I got it...” Her smile slowly faded, replaced by a grimace of effort. Just as one edge of the net cleared T’s side, she let out a grunt of pain. The field around her horn flashed white, before disappearing. “I don’t have it!”

The field spread over the net also sparked white, before shrinking to cover a very small part of the net, which suddenly set alight. The net fell down behind the three fillies, and started to pile up. The flaming corner of the net, unfortunately, fell loose from the pile...

“Hey, girls...” Api whispered, as she sniffed the air. “Do either of y’all smell smoke?”

Echo took a whiff, and started coughing. “Yeah...”

“Any idea where it’s coming from?” Pixel asked her friends. The three fillies started to look around for the source. It didn’t take long...

“Pix! Your mane!” Echo screamed, pointing a hoof at her unicorn friend.

“What about it?” Pixel asked, cocking her head to one side.

“It’s all Obediah!” Api yelled. After the look both friends gave her, she face hooved. “Fire! Ya mane’s on fire!”

Pixel raised hoof to the top of her head. It soon got warm, and the singed fur told her all she needed to know.

“AHH! IT REALLY IS!” The unicorn leapt into the air, running on the spot for a few seconds, before sprinting off towards town. “CLAIRE! HEEEELLLP!”

***

Golden Oak Library, Present Day...

Pixel’s face made a resounding crack when it hit the table.

“Wait, you were serious about the fire mane?” Night Light raised an eyebrow as he turned to his friend.

Api looked between the pair. “Wait, she actually told ya ‘bout that,” the small filly looked genuinely shocked. “Huh... She’s normally right sore ‘bout those parts...”

Echo rooted around between the discarded wrappers for any more cupcakes. "Anyway, Annie spent the next week saying sorry to T, Button Mash and Pix for that..." after failing to find any, she sighed and slurped down the rest of her shake. “But, it’s getting late, and we’re out of snacks. So I say we leave it there?”

“Really?” Night Light raised an eyebrow, before looking to see the sun was already setting. “Aww,” Night Light groaned, as the girls started to rise from the table. “But you’ve only got one story left. Please?”

The three fillies shared a few stares. Echo eventually groaned. “Fine, let’s wrap this up quick though...”

***

Ponyville Adventurer Society Clubhouse, The Past...

“Alrigh’,” Api said, as she crossed T off the three name list on the board. "Ah know what went wrong with the other plans..."

"Oh really..." Echo eyed her friend suspiciously. "Then tell us, oh wise leader..."

"Ah don' think Ah like ya tone, Echo..." Api glared at the Pegasus.

"You've got Pix set on fire!"

"Twice..." Pixel added, not turning away from the small mirror, where she tried to desperately brush her mane in a way that hid the singed hairs.

"An' Ah've said Ah was sorry a bunch o' times," Api waved her hooves in frustration. "But we're down ta Spike, an' this'll be easy. See, our other plans, they were conver...conva... had too many steps in 'em. All we gotta do is get a really big net..."

"..."

"...And?" Echo waved a hoof, waiting for Api to finish the thought.

"No 'and'," Api grinned at her friends. "Jus' get a big enough net, an' throw it on him."

Echo and Pixel shared a look.

"This is going to end in tears..." Echo sighed, before heading for the door. "I'll go start looking for a net."

After Api and Echo had left, Pixel sighed. "At least it won't end in flames..."

***

Ponyville Town Centre, The Past...

"Curses," Spike said, as he ran blindly round another corner. "Those Adventurers never quit! I must flee!"

Echo shifted her wings, to make carrying her share of the net easier, before turning to face Pixel. "Has your uncle always been so... over the top?"

"He's married... to my Auntie," Pixel replied, a little out of breath. "Not a big shock... that they rubbed off... on each other..."

"Alrigh' girls, he went into the library," Api pointed a hoof over to the familiar building. "He ain't got nowhere ta run now!"

The trio of fillies barged into the library, Pixel gasping in the doorway as they did so.

"We have you now, dragon!" Echo flared her wings as she yelled, which just resulted in one of them instantly getting tangled in the net...

"Ya've got nowhere left ta hide..." Api pawed at the ground, trying to be menacing. Given her size, it didn't exactly work...

"Come... quietly... or..." was all Pixel managed before she collapsed, completely exhausted.

"Pix, are you OK?" Spike asked, instantly breaking his character. "Hold on, I'll get you some water."

As he headed through to the small kitchen, Echo and Api looked puzzled, before coming to a bad conclusion.

"He must be tryin' ta run," Api said as she crossed the library floor. "Maybe there's a secret door or somethin'..."

"After him, then," Echo said, quickly moving into place alongside the small Earth Pony. "C'mon, Pix! Stop laying down on the job!"

Pixel struggled to her hooves. Groaning as she moved, she tried to follow her friends down into the kitchen.

"Huh?" Spike said, as he heard hoof steps on the floorboards. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw the source. "Girls, stay out there! It's way too cramped in here as it is..."

"A likely story," Api moved slowly over the floorboards towards him. "Or are ya jus' waitin' fer a chance to get away?"

"Girls, leave it." Spike said, as he turned to face the fillies. "Just look at Pixie - she's exhausted, a..."

Unfortunately, Spike had forgotten something when he turned round. Namely, exactly where his tail was...

"Gaah!" Api cried as she tumbled across the floor, eventually ending with her back against one of the cupboards. Her eyes span, the filly obviously dazed by the experience.

"Hey!" Echo yelled. "What was that for?" She quickly tried to bring the net to bear, but just ended up tangling herself further. Spike backed away from the irate filly, tripping over his own tail...

... and, accidentally flipping Echo into a spin, and through the nearest window. If she hadn't been tangled in a giant net, that might not have been a huge deal...

This also had the unfortunate side effect of setting off an alarm ward, that was long ago placed over all the windows.

"Rainbow Dash!" Princess Twilight Sparkle yelled as she teleported in a few feet away from the broken window.

Pixel yelped at the sudden arrival of the screaming Princess behind her. Her hooves tangled, she did the only thing she could do - bounce down the ramp, landing in a heap similar to her friend, against the hob...

The lit hob...

"I thought you'd learnt how to... use... the..." Twilight's rant slowly lost steam as she took in the scene before her. "...Door?"

As Pixel and Api began to shake themselves awake, Pixel started to look around the room. Seeing the horrified stares Spike and Twilight were giving her, she turned to her friend. "Api?"

"Yeah, Pixie?"

"Is my mane on fire again?"

"Yeah..."

"Ahh..." Pixie nodded, and took a deep breath, before her senses returned in full. "AHHH! CLAIRE! IT HAPPENED AGAIN!"

Before Twilight and Spike had recovered, the filly was out of the library, and running across town.

"What's going on here?" Twilight asked whilst she tapped a hoof on the floor in annoyance, hoping for an answer. Any kind of answer - she didn't really expect a reasonable one.

"Well, it started out with the girls trying to catch a dragon..." Spike scratched at his neck, trying to figure out the rest himself. "I don't know about the rest, but I think we better help them before their mom's decide to finish the job off..."

A shudder spread across Twilight, and she was suddenly very eager to help. "Alright, you go and find Echo, then take her to the boutique. I'll keep an eye on Api..."

***

Golden Oaks Library, Present Day...

"Wait, so you failed every time?" Night Light asked. A trio of blushed faces nodded. "Then how come you still call yourself 'Adventurers'?"

"Well, we realised that what we really needed to do," Pixel said, massaging a sore spot that had surprisingly developed just below her horn. "Was work our way up to catching dragons."

"Yeah," Api nodded in agreement. "Pixie an' Echo kinda thought we were tryin' ta skip from bein'... bein'... uh, what was that word ya used, Pixie?"

"Rookies."

"Yeah, tryin' ta skip from those to real adventurers."

"So now were just Adventurers in Training." Echo finished.

"Huh..." Night Light thought that over for a few seconds. "That makes sense, I guess."

A silence fell over the group, until the library door swung open.

"Sheesh, is your tea party still going on?" Starburst asked as she headed for the stairs.

"It's not a tea party," Night Light growled at his older sister. "And it just finished..." he turned back to the table. "I guess I'll see you later girls."

"Sure!" Pixie beamed as she headed for the door. "Night, Nighty!"

"Yeah, this weren't so bad as Ah'd thought..."Api rolled her shoulders as she jumped down from her bench. "Talk ta ya later."

Echo hovered behind her Earth Pony friend, giving the Royal Siblings a respectful nod each.

Night Light smiled at each of the fillies as they left, before turning to finish the argument with his sister, only to find she had left while he was distracted. He sighed, before beginning to clear the table of leftovers and wrappers. Once finished, he brought a candle stub over to his desk, double checked he was alone, and fished a scroll out from under his bench. A quill levitated across the room, and a soft scratching began to fill the night's silence.

Barely an hour later, the stub's flame flickered out, leaving the snoring colt in the dark. The scroll, now serving as a pillow, was still mostly blank. However, the moonlight left what was there still legible.

Chronicles of the Adventurers

The Pursuit of Dragons

When we last met our brave page, shy rogue, and novice cleric, they had failed to save the Forge Mistress' Ambrosia Maker.

Now, with their pennance served, they soon learnt of a new threat to their idyllic life. Three adult dragons had beset their small town, and had set about securing not only the Font of Knowledge, but both the Merchant's Guild and the Ranger's Station. How would they deal with this menace?

Twilight took a step back and smiled at her sleeping son. Sleep tight, my young scholarly skald...

Author's Note

And unless I come up with a 'Hearth's warming' Themed Quest in the next two weeks, this is probably the last quest until the New Year. In which case, have a good whatever winter based holiday you celebrate (if any).

Just so you know, not every one of the stories will be done with this framing device (i.e. telling Night Light Jr. the story). I just did that for these first two as an experiment. I like it, but I think it's going to get boring if I use it all the time.

Which gives me a chance to work on a few other things I'm writing at least...

As I've said before, if anyone has any quest suggestions, then feel free to post them in the comments. As well as perhaps a better way of saying the past than, well, the past...

Chapter 4 - Scouting Party

CHAPTER 4 - Scouting Party

Ponyville Adventuring Society Clubhouse

Pixel Bit, Echo and Api Apple sat around their small table, planning out their weekend, until a very definite end was called to the proceedings. “Girls,” Applejack yelled from the bottom of the ramp. “It’s gettin’ late, are y’all nearly done in there?”

“We’re nearly done, Auntie.” Api shouted back, as the three fillies looked across the table at each other and nodded. The three fillies marched out the door and down the ramp, heading off down different paths once they had.

“Aunt Applejack, can the girls come over again tomorrow?” Api asked, as she fell into step beside the older Earth Pony.

“Well, shucks, I ain’t rightly sure,” She said, tipping her Stetson back as she thought. “Zap Apples are due ta start ripenin’ any day now, though.”

“Aww hay, not the bunny suits ag’in...” Api spat, under her breath.

“Language, filly.”

“Sorry Auntie,” Api murmured, lowering her head. “But Ah still don’t like them suits.”

“Ya Ma weren’t right fond of ‘em when she were just a filly neither,” Applejack pointed out, her eyes moistening. “Zap Apples are just dang strange, Api, an’ we ain’t found no other ways ta make the jam, sugarcube.”

Api sighed, and kicked a pebble along the road. “Ah know. Mah’s been all but shut in her office fer two months now.”

“Good ta know she ain’t changed much,” Applejack chuckled as the mental picture formed. “But this ain’t like her fancy mechanics. There’s magic in them apples, an’ they don’t like things bein’ neat...”

“Ah think, fer her, that’s kinda the point...” Api said, sighing again.

“Can’t say that’s all that shockin’...” Applejack said, nodding sagely. “Tell ya what, sugarcube. You an’ yer friends help out in the mornin’, an’ ya can have the rest of the harvest off.”

When the filly leapt into the air, grinning like a mad mare, Applejack quickly thought back over what she’d said, before chasing after the filly.

“Zap Apple harvest! Ya can have the rest of the Zap Apple harvest off...”

***

Ponyville Adventuring Clubhouse, the next day

“Hey Api!” Echo and Pixel cheered in unison, as the pair came to a halt below the clubhouse.

“Oh, hey girls...” Api said, smiling nervously. “How’re y’all?”

The other two girls shared a glance.

“What’s going on, Api?” Pixel eventually asked.

“There’s...” the small filly started, before gulping. “There’s been a change of plans...”

Echo studied Api, then thought about what season had just started. Her eyes widened as the realisation hit, and she quickly began waving her forehooves in front of her. “No, no, no, no, no!”

“At least hear me ou...” Api pleaded, before quickly being cut off by Pixel.

“Sorry, Api, but no way,” she said, as her eye started to twitch. “They’re just so... itchy.”

“Girls, if ya help out, we can hang out fer the rest of the harvest...”

Echo and Pixel stared at Api for almost a minute.

“One moment, please,” Echo said, before moving to the other side of the small clearing and conferring with Pixel.

After a slightly heated argument, the pair returned to their friend.

“We have decided that your offer is... acceptable.” Echo started.

“Need to start my own blackmail folder...” Pixel grumbled under her breath.

“...On one condition,” Echo continued, speaking over her friend.

“Yeah, Ah’ll buy the ‘shakes and ‘cakes,” Api said, puzzled as her friends jaws dropped. “What? That’s what we always ask fer. So, how long fer this time?”

Pixel and Echo brought a forehoof each to their muzzles, as they considered the question.

“A week,” Pixel asked Echo, who nodded in agreement. “A week.”

“Alright, a week it is,” Api said, shaking hooves with the other two fillies to seal the deal. “Now, we better git over t’ the farmhouse. Sooner we git this over with, the better.”

***

Sugarcube Corner, that afternoon

The trio of fillies sat back in their booth, clutching their heads as they tried to ward off their inevitable brain freeze.

Echo was the first to recover. She looked over to the groaning Unicorn. “Feelin’ better, Pix?”

After a few seconds, Pixel Bit moved her hooves from her head, and nodded. “Still feel itchy, but don’t care anymore.”

“Ya want one more fer the road,” Api asked, as she finally shook off her own headache. “Or do ya wanna get goin?”

“I couldn’t drink another sip...” Pixel groaned again, her hooves now clutching at her gut.

“Yeah,” Echo agreed, glaring at the row of empty glasses in front of her. “I know the feelin’...”

“Alright, so what do y’all wanna do now,” Api asked, stretching as she leapt down from the bench. “Ah mean, we got all week, an’ a whole list of stuff ta do. So, where d’ya wanna start girls?”

“No offence Api,” Echo smiled sheepishly, as she took a few steps towards the door. “But I need to work some of this off, so I think I’m just gonna go flying for a bit. You can tag along, if you want...”

“Ugh...” Pixel lifted her head from her spot on the floor. “Moving... bad. Stay here.”

“...Ya know ya cain’t stay there all day,” Api asked, laying down in front of Pixel as she spoke. “Right, Pixie?”

The glare the Unicorn gave her small friend said it all. Just watch me...

“...But we did the costume thing...” Api started deflating as she rose back off the floor. “We really gonna split off this quick after that?”

“I’m sorry Api, but I need to burn those shakes off somehow,” Echo sighed as she looked down at Pixel. “And Pix isn’t really in any shape to be going anywhere. Maybe if she hadn’t been drinking two to one...”

Pixel Bit huffed. “I was thirsty, OK?”

“Girls, come on, you’re all friends,” Pinkie Pie said, as she walked over from her spot behind the counter. “Why are you acting so sad?”

“’Cause we all had ta do somethin’ we hate,” Api grumbled, circling a hoof over the floorboards. “So we can spend some more time together ‘fore school starts up ag’in. But now Echo’s tryin’ ta run off ta fly, and Pix ain’t movin’. At all.”

Pinkie looked between the three, before flashing them a huge grin. “Well, why don’t you all go flying?”

“Uhh, no offence, Pinkie,” Echo said, raising an eyebrow. “But Pix and Api can’t exactly fly.”

“Well, duh,” Pinkie said rolling her eyes. “Of course they can’t fly by themselves. They don’t have wings, and Pix can’t move anyway. But they can fly in my balloon...”

“Echo,” Api rubbed her temple as she turned back to her friend. “Is mah brain freeze comin’ back, or did Pinkie just make... sense?”

“She always makes sense...” Pixel said, finally pushing herself to her hooves.

“Alright, correction,” Api nodded sagely. “Did Pinkie just make sense without Pixie translatin’?”

“Cloudy, Sugar,” Pinkie shouted up the stairs at the back of the cafe, ignoring the conversation between the three fillies. “Could you come down here girls?”

The sound of soft hoofsteps drifted down the stairs...

“Eep!”

...Followed by a tumbling circle of soft pink and royal blue. Sugar Rush and Cloudy Skies eventually lay together in a heap on the cafe floor, their eyes replaced by azure and amber spirals.

“Girls,” Pinkie said, rolling her eyes, before helping her youngest daughters to their feet. “What have I said about running on the landing?”

“Always stop when you get to the staircase...” Sugar Rush replied, shaking her head as she rose to her hooves.

“Mhmm,” Pinkie nodded sagely. “And what did you do?”

“...Tripped over one of Pumpkin’s roller skates...” Cloudy answered, shrinking behind her slightly shorter twin as she did.

“Exact...” Pinkie started, stopping dead when she heard what had happened. “Wait, what?”

“She’d left one in her doorway again, and Clumsy Skies tripped over it...” Sugar Rush looked back at her sister and sighed. “...Again.”

Pinkie shook her head. “I’ll ask Candy to talk to her about that when she gets back,” before being interrupted by a head popping out the kitchen door. “I’ll be right there, Pumpkin,” she answered, without even turning round.

The young mare turned slack jawed, staring at Pinkie. “How did you...?”

Pinkie just shrugged before answering. “Lucky guess,” she answered before turning back to Cloudy and Sugar. “Now, how would you girls like to go flying with the balloon this afternoon?”

The two fillies looked at each other, then back at their mother.

“Flying,” A smile spread across Cloudy's face as she spoke, . “I'd love t..." she started, only to find a hoof in her face. "Hey, Sugar, what gives?”

The filly in question narrowed her eyes, staring at her mother carefully. “...What’s the catch?”

Pinkie just grinned at the pair. “No catch,” she responded, moving so that Api, Echo and Pixel came into view of the two fillies. “You just need to help Pixie get into the basket, and teach her the controls.”

Sugar and Cloudy entered a two filly huddle, as they debated what to do. After almost a full minute’s discussion, Cloudy turned back to the rest of the group. “Sure, no problem mom!”

Sugar just sighed, rolling her eyes as she turned away from the others to speak to herself. “...Oh goodie...”

***

Later, outside Sugarcube Corner

Echo took a deep breath, as the balloon alongside her finally climbed high enough to clear the Ponyville roofline. “Ahh, it’s good to get off the ground again,” she said, before biting her lip and turning to her friends. “Heh, heh... no offence guys...”

“Ahh, don’t get a bee in ya bonnet,” Api said, not turning away from the edge of the basket. “Ah know what ya meant.”

“Yeah,” Pixel’s eyes were screwed shut as her field remained glued on the various controls of the balloon. “If we could come up here whenever we wanted, we’d probably get antsy spending all our time on the ground.”

“Pix, I don’t think you know what we’re talking about... Hay, you can’t even see anything...” Echo deadpanned. Pixel just smiled sheepishly as she rubbed her mane in response, her field never leaving the controls.

“And I’m kinda used to it,” Sugar said, pointing a hoof out towards her sister, who had started lazily performing some aileron rolls as she waited for the others to climb. “She can be such a klutz on the ground, but get her in the sky...” the filly said starting to smile, just as Cloudy noticed her audience, and quickly started to fly back to the basket blushing. “It’s like night and day. Can’t really blame her for getting carried away sometimes...”

“Yeah,” Echo said, staring at the other flyer. “I see what you mean... Hey, Cloudy, how’d you learn to fly like that.”

“...Oh, Icy Storm showed me how to do some tricks,” Cloudy answered, playing with her mane while her blush deepened slightly. “...I’m not really good at them, but I really like the rolls.”

“Really? Huh...” The older Pegasus rubbed her muzzle thoughtfully. “Maybe I should get him to show me a few moves?”

“Not ta sidetrack us or nothin’,” Api said, coughing politely into a hoof. “But maybe we should do somethin’ while we’re in this here thing?”

The rest of the fillies started looking around amongst themselves. Eventually, Sugar Rush decided to ask the question on all of their minds. “Like what?”

“Well, it’s tha Zap Apple harvest, so everyone’s gonna be over on one side of tha orchards...” Api turned to stare towards the sea of trees at the edge of town. “Which means there ain’t no-one ta keep an eye on tha other side...”

Sugar Rush pondered on that for a second. “So your saying we should fly over the Whitetail Woods...”

“... And keep an eye out for any apple thieves or invading animals?” Cloudy Skies finished.

Api nodded proudly. “Yeah, that’s exactly right.”

The sisters shared a quick look, smiles widening by the second.

“Awesome!” The pair cried in unison.

Api smiled, wrapping one of her small forelegs round Sugar Rush. “Ah think this is gonna go just fine.”

Behind her, she failed to notice the face hoofing Echo and Pixel.

***

Over the edge of Sweet Apple Acres

“...Umm, Echo,” Cloudy asked, as the other Pegasus pulled level with her. “...Don’t those trees look a little... gloomy for Whitetail?”

Echo looked down. “I see what you mean,” she said, looking at the ocean of dark wood and odd coloured leaves that stretched out before her. “I don’t ever remember the Whitetail Woods having blue leaves before, or being this thick...” she said, her eyes narrowing, before widening in realisation. “Aww hay! We gotta get the girls to turn around. We went to the wrong side.”

Cloudy stared at Echo, her face falling. The pair spun and flew back to the balloon, which was already at the border between Sweet Apple Acres and the Everfree Forest.

“Pix,” Echo yelled as she approached. “We need to turn around, we’re going the wrong way!”

“Huh,” Pixel responded, opening her eyes and turning to the incoming Pegasi. “What d’ya mean we’re going the wrong way? I followed Api’s instructions to the letter.”

“Then why are we over the Everfree?”

“Over the Everfree? We’re not over the Everfree,” Api questioned, raising an eyebrow, before folding her hooves in a huff. “We can’t be over the Everfree,” she wandered over to the side of the basket as she continued to dismiss her friends concerns. Taking a glance over the side caused her to recoil back to the centre, her face turning green. “Sweet Celestia, we’re over the Everefree! How the Hay’d we end up over the Everfree? Pixie, what did ya do!?”

Pixel puffed out her cheeks, glaring down at the young Earth Pony. “I did what you told me to do!”

“Hey,” Sugar Rush interrupted the staring contest that had erupted between the other two fillies. “I think I see the problem,” she said, as she grabbed the map, and flipped the map upside down. “Api had the map the wrong way around!”

Pixel stared slack jawed at Sugar Rush, before turning back to the rapidly shrinking Earth Pony. “Hehe...” Api bit her lip, staring at her friend sheepishly. “Oops?”

Pixel glared at her friend for a few seconds, before sighing and shaking her head. “Let’s save getting mad ‘til we’re back on the ground... What’s the plan, Api?”

“...We turn this thing around,” Api raised an eyebrow, as though that were obvious. “Sugar, there any way ta turn ‘round quicker in one of these things?”

“Not that my mom told me...” the young Unicorn replied, kicking at the basket’s floor. “Only thing I can think of is if I try to help. But... I’m... still not very good with my magic yet...”

“You know what you’re doing,” Pixel gave Sugar a comforting hug. “You do what you can, and tell me what I should be doing, OK?”

“...OK,” Sugar nodded to encourage herself as she spoke. “Alright, you grab the fuel control, I’ll take the...” she started, struggling to spread her field over the rudder. She watched as it just pulsed around the fin unproductively. "C'mon, stupid magic..." she growled, starting to shake with concentration. "Work for once..." she begged, as the field started to flash white, before vanishing explosively, reducing the rudder to splinters. “Aaah!”

Api and Pixel watched the fin tumble to the ground, and the crying filly. Pixel quickly moved to comfort the crying filly, while Api took a few deep, calming breaths.

OK, we can’t turn round, and jumping won’t work either... the young Earth Pony thought, as she looked over the situation. I need to get those two out of here, but how?

She turned to face Echo and Cloudy with her eyes closed, after she came to her conclusion.

“Echo, Cloudy,” she yelled over the wailing apologies from Sugar and Pixel’s shushing. “Ah need ya ta get them outta here.”

Cloudy wasted no time moving to replace Pixel in comforting her sister, while Echo hovered just outside the basket. She folded her forehooves, looking curiously at her friend. “What’s going on, Api?”

“Rudder’s broke, so I need ya ta get the girls outta here.”

“What about you?”

“Ma mah took me out ta Zecora’s hut once in a while, an’ that’s deeper than we are right now,” she said quickly, staring towards the dark clouds forming in front of them. “So Ah can get back out, an’ if it comes down ta it, Ah’m best suited ta take a crash,” she pointed to the dark clouds, and Echo bit her lip nervously.

“Api...” her friends all started, clearly looking to debate her.

“We ain’t got time fer this girls,” she yelled, her eyes watering. “Y’all know what Ah said is right, an this is mah fault ag'in. Ah ain’t gonna let any of ya risk yer fool necks...”

Pixel and Echo stared at each other, before moving in for a group hug.

“Sorry Api...” Pixel whispered into the fillies’ ear.

“It’s al...” Api started to say, before she felt a shove from the Unicorn. She felt two legs wrap around her, before flying out of the basket. “Pixie, what the hay!?”

“I can’t let you do that,” the usually cheerful Unicorn’s smile was much smaller than usual. “It wouldn’t be right...”

“Don’t ya dare...” Api struggled against Echo’s forelegs, to no avail.

“It’s not about age or size, Api. You said it yourself,” the filly said, as her field started to cover the balloon’s fuel controls. “You can handle a crash better than any of us,” she looked Api in the eye. “But I can land this thing. So go and get some help, and I’ll see you all later,” Echo took off quickly, while the twins just stared at Pixel, frozen to the spot. “And the shakes are still on you Api,” the Unicorn yelled after her rapidly disappearing friends, before turning and noticing the two younger fillies still in the basket. “You two should get going too...”

“...Alright.” Cloudy said, turning away, and grabbing a tight hold of Sugar. “...Good luck, Pixel.”

“Luck,” Pixel snorted a laugh, and winked at the two fillies. “I’m the Hero, I don’t need luck. Everything’s going to be jus...” she started, before a flash of lightning struck the balloon. Cloudy leaped as the balloon burst, trying to clear the basket. Unfotunately, the rapid tumble of the basket ended up catching one of her outstretched rear legs, sending the pair tumbling into the forest. Pixel just screamed for all she was worth as she plummeted in the remains of the basket toward the canopy.

***

Meanwhile, at Sweet Apple Acres

Api had barely leapt out of Echo’s grip before she started sprinting towards the farmhouse.

“Aunt, Uncle, anypony, help,” the filly screamed, half bucking the door open. “We need help, now!”

“Api, calm down,” came a voice off to her side, one she hadn’t expected to hear. “They’re all out in the Zap Apple orchards. Now, what’s wrong.”

“I ain’t got time ta calm down, Night Light,” she ran for the still open door, the bookish unicorn hot on her heels. “Somethin’ broke on the balloon, an’ now Pixie’s stuck headin’ over the Everfree straight fer a wild storm...”

Night Light’s eyes widened. “What!? What were you thinking? What were you doing flying over there in the first place,” he began shouting, advancing on the small filly, only to start losing steam when he began hyperventilating. “You... I... but... gah!”

“Aww hay...” Api said, her eyes widening. She grabbed the colt’s head, and pulled it down until they were face to face. “Come on bookworm, don’t do this ta me now. Calm down and breathe... in, out, in, out,” she said, taking deep, slow breaths. Slowly, Night Light’s ragged breathing started to match hers. “Better?”

“Yeah... a lot better...” his voice was still shaky, but he seemed a lot calmer now. “Thanks, Api. OK, you go find everyone on the farm, I need to go get my Mom, she’ll know what to do” Night Light didn’t wait for a response before turning and dashing down the main path towards Ponyville.

As he reached the Acres’ fence, he turned back towards the town centre, when he heard a chorus of howls echo through the trees. The colt froze to the spot, a shudder passing down his spine as he considered what would be waiting whoever went in the forest to rescue the filly.

I need to hurry, He thought, as he slowly regained his senses. Mom’s smart and strong. She’ll know what to do. Don’t worry...

However, before he had a chance to move, another sound escaped the shadows of the forest.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”

Night Light’s eyes widened, as Pixel’s scream died out. He quickly glanced between the Town and the forest. After a few seconds, he screwed his eyes closed, and brought his horn to life.

As he charged into the Everfree, he yelled three words that echoed over the farm. “I’M COMING, PIXIE!”

Author's Note

One quick warning - I've uploaded this story without doing a proper edit. One reason is that it's taken me about two weeks longer to finish this than I thought it would, so I wanted to get it posted, so people didn't think I'd forgotten about it. The second is that since I'm the editor atm, I can just come back and edit it over the weekend when I have more free time, since I will have finished my fourth run of Resident Evil REmastered by then...

I can quit any time I want to. I just don't want to...

Of course, if anyone wants to volunteer as an extra editor, I would be most grateful. It's not like it's going to be a weekly thing - just look at my update schedule for this. And this is me updating rapidly...

And yes, it’s another two-parter already, but I think a lot of the stories for this will end up being two parters - the build up and the pay off, or the event and the fallout kinda stuff.

I’m also not sure whether I’m slowly drifting away from the ‘Everyone’ rating. I’m certainly not intending to, but it just seems that way, given what I'm writing about. I should probably also switch to the Adventure tag over slice of life. Even if I think both apply to the stories overall, I think more and more are turning out to be adventures than day to day events...

Now, when I started this story, I had four key ideas – The three of the CMCs kids getting up to similar antics as their mothers is kinda obvious, as it’s not only the base of the story, but the be all and end all.

The ‘Night Light’ Chronicles from the end of Dragon Catchers, combined with the concept of catching dragons in general, both stem from the idea of using some of the typical Fantasy TRPG quests and tropes as set ups.

The third was to make a story about the image I’m using as the icon for this story, which you’ve just read. I would have used another image, but there aren’t all that many pictures of the three together that really work for this story anyway.

The final one was to bring Cloudy, Sugar and Nighty into the stories somehow. I like to think of that group of six as all really close friends – Pixel helping Cloudy with her self esteem, Sugar asking Nighty for help with her magic, and so on. It just seemed natural to me that they’d all get roped into the group somehow eventually.

Also, before anyone asks, I'm trying my best to stick to the characterisations Kilala has laid out, but other than Pixel Bit and Night Light Jr, most of the characters used in this story haven't been used all that often in her stories, so speech patterns and such are still just my best guesses. So if you think someone seems off, just blame me and tell me so in the comments.

Next time - Chapter 5 (Rescue Mission)

*EDIT* - I'm going to be doing a partial rewrite of this chapter, to account for things I've discovered during the fun fact contest (For Example, Candy being OCD, so the roller skate thing doesn't make much sense...). The overall story isn't going to change, but how things develop just doesn't fit with all the new info.

I'd also like to thank everyone for their continued patience during my Hard Drive Issues. I'm working on the situation, but short of a contract with the fae or a sacrifice to Imhotep, it's not looking like it'll resolve before the Summer.